Are you “addicted” to your phone?

You’re out for a drink or a coffee with a friend. They go to the toilet or bar, or they take a call. Straight away, you whip out your phone.

No, notifications from Whatsapp or Viber. No new messages on Facebook Messenger. Check Twitter and Instagram feeds.

What’s going on? Whatever. Better than sitting there and looking into the distance, or it looking like you’re on your own. Imagine! Sheesssh.

Being connected

There maybe also be no surprise there’s no notifications, because the whole time your friend has been talking, you’ve been checking your phone. You’re connected, right? Always on.

Then, there’s night time. Despite it being well documented, phone use, playing video games or TV before bed plays havoc with sleep, many of us are guilty of it.

Digital devices before bed

It doesn’t even need to be documented, we can feel it. A night after watching TV series back to back can leave you shattered for days. We know that’s no good, sleep is really, really important.

Though, it’s not all about sleep. Just taking a break from being connected and taking the time to sit on your own and look out the window on the bus, train in a café can be a great rest for the mind.

Taking a break from technology

As much as we’re huge advocates of technology and being connected at ReachOut.com, and we are, we all need to learn to switch off, every now and then.

“Addicted” to your phone

People now talk of being addicted to their phones and addiction is not a positive thing. Addiction tends to be about repeating a behaviour, or the use of something, or to avoid bad feelings.

So is this what’s going on with our excessive phone use? Are we blocking out being on our own because that makes us feel bad?

Being comfortable in your skin

It’s a funny thing nowadays, that we have to learn to be on our own. At the same time, it’s key to everything. Being comfortable with who you are and what you’re about, is the basis to good mental health and wellbeing.

Constantly inviting noise and distraction into your head prevents you being able to process what’s going on around you or what just happened with your day. Things that are truly yours. Things you don’t necessarily need to share on Instagram or Twitter either.

It can hinder your creativity or distract you from the stuff really need to get done. Got exams coming up? Thesis to write? Something not so urgent is happening on Buzzfeed right now.

Eliminating distractions

Hard work, eliminating distractions but it’s possible. There are so many out there, but get in the habit of taking a break.

Learning to like yourself too and be in your own company can be a really long journey for some. Maybe you don’t even have to make that journey but just turn off and tune out a bit along the way.